Cool change

Three destinations to escape the summer swelter: how they weigh up

Salalah, Oman
Average July temperature: 23-28 C
Average July rainfall: 26mm
Getting there: 1 hour to Muscat, 1.5 hours to Salalah plus stopover: Oman Air (Dhs2070 based on mid-July fare)
Stay at: Salalah Hilton; doubles including breakfast from Dhs1225, www.salalah.hilton.com

Why: Relatively close, Salalah is green and lush at this time of the year and much cooler than the UAE.

Zurich, Switzerland
Average July temperature: 14-25 C
Average July rainfall: 136mm
Getting there: 6 hours 40 min direct: Emirates (Dhs3620)
Stay at: Hotel Alden; doubles from Dhs2376, www.alden.ch

Why: You'll get a good dose of cool weather but you'll also have to deal with the heavens opening up every few days. Explore the city's museums, old town and enjoy the sheer sanity that is Switzerland.

Melbourne, Australia
Average July temperature: 6-13 C
Average July rainfall: 46mm
Getting there: 15 hours 45 min plus stopover: Emirates (Dhs7820)
Stay at: Park Hyatt Melbourne; doubles from Dhs1130, www.melbourne.park.hyatt.com

Why: Melbourne's a touch of Europe Down Under. Exploring this chic city, its nearby wilderness and snowfields is the perfect way to escape the big heat.

Volunteer: A Traveller's Guide to Making a Difference Around the WorldWhether you want to conserve turtles in Costa Rica or teach English in Malawi, this book features hundreds of organisations for volunteers across the globe.

It covers the nitty-gritty of visas, money and health as well as how to deal with culture shock and how to cope once you return home. Lonely Planet, $19.99

Mum's the Word
Following the unveiling of Virgin Galactic's spaceships earlier this year, Sir Richard Branson has revealed details about the mothership, the aircraft that will carry the spaceships to 50,000 feet from where they will launch.

To the surprise of his mum Eve, the mothership will be named in her honour. "If you're going to build a mothership, it's only right that you should name it after your mother!" said Branson. Flights start in 2009, costing $200,000. Call 04-3975557, www.virgingalactic.com

July's travel websites
www.croatia.hr
At the Arabian Travel Market, we asked Croatian Tourism how they were represented in the UAE. They just pointed to this site. Amazingly, it's comprehensive and user-friendly.

www.bbc.co.uk
If you go to BBC's World Weather section and click on country guides, you can browse each major city's weather conditions. Perfect when you're not sure what to pack.

www.white-shark-diving.com
The name says it all. For those of you who've always dreamt of diving with a great white shark, here's your chance. Let's hope the cage is strong.

Bring a book... or two
Flying by zeppelin could be the way of the future - if you have the time. A flight from New York to London on these helium-filled airships would produce 90 per cent less carbon emissions than a conventional flight, but take 40 hours longer.

With scenic flights already in Germany, commercial use could be on the drawing board.

"If we get serious about carbon emissions and people are desperate to still be able to travel, using zeppelins could be something that we do," said Elle Morrell, an Australian conservationist.